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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8961 IBM CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8961 is an open redirect issue in IBM BigFix Inventory v9 that can be abused for phishing. A remote attacker can lure a user to a crafted link, redirect the browser to a malicious site, and make the destination appear trusted, increasing the chance of credential theft or follow-on attacks.

Vendor
IBM
Product
Unknown
CVSS
MEDIUM 6.1
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-01
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-01
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Organizations running IBM BigFix Inventory or the related IBM License Metric Tool versions identified by NVD, plus security teams responsible for phishing resistance and web-link hygiene.

Technical summary

NVD classifies the flaw as CWE-601 (open redirect) with CVSS 3.0 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. The attack requires user interaction: a victim must visit a specially crafted website or link that triggers a redirect from the IBM application to an attacker-controlled destination. NVD's CPE data marks IBM BigFix Inventory as vulnerable through 9.2 and IBM License Metric Tool 9.2.0.

Defensive priority

Medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Identify whether IBM BigFix Inventory 9.2 or IBM License Metric Tool 9.2.0 is deployed.
  • Apply the IBM PSIRT/vendor remediation referenced by NVD for CVE-2016-8961.
  • Review and restrict any features or links that redirect users to external destinations; prefer allowlists for approved domains.
  • Warn users to verify destination domains before entering credentials after following product-generated links.
  • Monitor for phishing lures that impersonate IBM BigFix Inventory or trusted internal portals.

Evidence notes

The debrief is based on the CVE description stating IBM BigFix Inventory v9 could be used for phishing via an open redirect, and on NVD metadata showing CWE-601, the CVSS 3.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N, and affected CPE entries for IBM BigFix Inventory through 9.2 and IBM License Metric Tool 9.2.0. NVD also lists the IBM vendor advisory and a SecurityFocus entry as references.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-8961 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8961

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-8961 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8961

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.